Chapter 155

Qing greeted the guests, shaking his head left and right.

“Hey, wait a second. Aren’t you our friends?”

“……?”

“Right, what brings you here? What’s the occasion in this crumbling iron fortress?”

The thugs hesitated.

What the heck? Do they know each other? Why are they acting so friendly?

Are they with us? Did they come from the Sado Sect or what?

“W-who are you…?”

“Do you recognize me? So, what’s your business? I just got here, and I have no clue what’s going on.”

In truth, the thugs had their own scripts ready for when someone came at them strong.

If Qing had yelled something like, “You ruffians, what are you doing to innocent commoners!”—the usual shouts from an Orthodox Warrior—they would have had a plan to respond.

We are Namyeon Sect warriors!

If you lay a finger on us, the Namyeon Sect won’t sit still, and if the Namyeon Sect stirs, the whole city’s Sapa won’t sit still either, and if they don’t sit still, neither will our corrupt government offices!

They had everything ready to hurl insults mixed with their rough dialects, but here was Qing acting all chummy?

That’s a typical approach of notorious gang leaders when they encounter cute junior members of the Sapa.

Of course, the leaders weren’t being friendly because they liked the juniors; they were usually sizing them up to feast on them.

This was the usual situation between the senior and junior members of the Sapa.

And so, the thugs grew even tenser.

“Well, we are the Namyeon Sect warriors.”

“Namyeon? Noodle? Kid, can you clarify?”

“The Namyeon Sect emerged strong about ten years ago, their leader is supposedly a leper. I believe their mastery level was said to be Supreme Martial Artist.”

“Oh, that Namyeon? Man, now I totally crave some noodles.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun scratched his chin.

No matter how he thought about it, he had never heard of such a dish before.

But the Central Plain was vast, and if someone tried to list all the local foods, one couldn’t even mention them all in a lifetime.

And Je-gal Lee-hyun never held back when he was curious.

To put it precisely, he couldn’t resist asking questions.

“Sister, I haven’t heard of noodles. What region do they come from?”

“Well, over here, they call it napmyeon.”

“Oh, it’s a dialect. Got it!”

The Namyeon Sect warriors looked at Je-gal Lee-hyun and froze even more.

Generally, the more lacking a warrior’s skills, the more they become fixated on the opponent’s external mastery level.

Of course, since the unrefined low-tier warriors used size and muscles to judge prowess, a big muscular man was already considered a high-level master.

And now, a high-level master’s sister?

“Alright, so what’s the situation?”

“Well, it’s because that old man dared to defy the orders of the Namyeon Sect, and we wanted to teach him a lesson…”

“Teach him a lesson? Care to elaborate?”

Overwhelmed by Je-gal Lee-hyun, the Namyeon Sect warriors spilled their intentions.

Qing adopted a friendly tone for a reason.

Old Man Ban was the best craftsman in Juma Point.

In fact, calling him the best was a bit vague; even if you expanded the scope to the entire Henan Province, he would still rank among the very few masters.

However, the issue was that this master specialized solely in farming tools.

Even the most excellent of iron rods can’t create premium crafts in a different field.

If a master in swordsmanship grabbed a hammer, they might swing it around, but you certainly wouldn’t call them a master with that hammer.

The problem was that a sword made by Old Man Ban in his youth had been discovered.

And it was said to be a legendary blade, no less.

In other words, Old Man Ban wasn’t incapable of making swords; he simply chose not to!

A competent sword craftsman is a precious individual sought after by sects.

For warriors of perfectly matched skill, the superior weapon becomes the difference-maker in victory or defeat.

Even otherwise, a warrior’s keen interest in better weapons is something even senior masters can’t conceal.

And the exceptional sword craftsman at Juma Point should rightfully be taken in by the Namyeon Sect, the leader among the city’s Sapa.

“So you want to take Old Man Ban with you?”

“No, we gave up on that long ago. Do you have any idea how stubborn that old coot is…”

Old Man Ban swore he wouldn’t make weapons.

Talented craftsmen who refuse to make weapons are more common in the Central Plain than one might think.

You could toss a coin to a street storyteller and hear their tragic stories all day long.

No amount of flattery, coaxing, or threats would persuade Old Man Ban; he staunchly held that he’d rather die than forge.

He even ignored threats involving his grandson’s kidnapping.

And thus, the Namyeon Sect’s leader pondered.

If I can’t have it, I’ll just destroy it.

How could I demonstrate that?

Oh, right. Let’s starve him.

Seeing a kid defy the Namyeon Sect die of hunger would ensure no one else would dare to think a different thought.

“Oh, so that’s why you’re chasing guests away whenever they arrive?”

“Yes, well, that kind of happened…”

The Namyeon Sect warriors answered nervously, but their expressions relaxed a little when Qing continued speaking.

“Man, you’ve been struggling a lot. You’ve really been dealing with a lot. Were you staring at the iron fortress all day, watching if the fire’s lit?”

“That’s right. We all take turns to see if the old man gets any food. But some jerk keeps sneaking in food, the old man’s still alive. Up top, they’re just nagging, wondering why we can’t stop it…”

Such was the life of a low-ranking warrior.

Especially for Sapa guys, it was ten times tougher.

“Looks rough. Need a hand?”

“Well, if you were going to talk to the higher-ups about us, it’s fine, so there’s really no need…”

“No, we need to cut the root cause.”

“Yes?”

“Life’s hard? Then stop living it. Why continue living a life that only chooses to do bad things?”

“……?”

Qing thrust his left hand out.

But there was nothing to catch, so Qing frowned and looked at Je-gal Lee-hyun.

“Je-gal, you should know what’s up. This time it’s the Magic Flute! Didn’t you see the earlier scene with Uncle?”

“Oh, I apologize, sister.”

Qing grasped the Magic Flute in hand.

Immediately, a dense aura of energy erupted from behind as Tang Nan-ah stood back-to-back with a blade in hand, and Gyeon Pohee next to her lifted her small, three-fingered fist to shoulder height.

The Namyeon Sect warriors, trapped front and back, turned pale and said politely, “Uh, if there’s something troubling you, why don’t we talk it out?”

“What conversation is there with vermin from the Sapa? I’m the Divine Maiden Sect. This is Je-gal. That nasty face there belongs to the Tang Family. And the one next to her is… um… the Seol family meeting?”

Hearing that, Gyeon Pohee looked like she was about to cry.

But could you really consider that Hwanhui Palace or Demon Sect worthy of being mentioned here?

After considering briefly, Qing changed her approach.

“That one doesn’t count in the family meeting, she’s my Uncle.”

Gyeon Pohee’s expression brightened again.

She seemed satisfied.

Meanwhile, the Namyeon Sect warriors weren’t feeling too confident.

With everyone known across the martial world except for the Seol family meeting, it was a serious blow.

“Damn it! Hit them!”

There are hierarchies even among the low ranks, and one of the higher-ups yelled.

Immediately, I dashed sideways.

One thug charged at Qing, while another tried to break through to the exit.

Qing calmly regarded the Namyeon Sect warrior charging at her.

As the warrior brandished his sword over his head and charged, one couldn’t tell if he was a martial artist or a samurai; no matter what, the guy was wide open.

It was basically, ‘Please stab my torso,’ begging level of vulnerability.

So Qing simply extended the Magic Flute forward.

The savage force from the blunt instrument went right into his upper belly, angling up to hit his heart in one fell swoop.

“Oof.”

The nasty Sapa guy didn’t even have time to bring his sword down, simply dropping it with a clang.

“W-what…?”

In the Central Plain, there’s a weapon known as Blood Spear, which is basically a hollow drill bit.

When the heart is stabbed, blood spills out in a spectacular display.

And that was precisely what happened with Qing’s hand.

Blood splattered in a rhythmic pumping pattern from the flute’s air holes.

The warmth soaking her hands was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long while.

The blood felt so hot against her usually cold hands that it almost felt like a burn.

Qing couldn’t help but break into a devilish grin, her lips curling up to her ears.

Thank goodness for the mask.

Je-gal Lee-hyun frowned at the sight.

“Uh, sister. Doesn’t it feel weird if blood gets in the flute?”

“Please, it’s nothing a good wash can’t fix. Who cares if a martial artist picks and chooses weapons?”

“Even if you gloss over it with such a nice phrase, the Magic Flute isn’t even a weapon!”

Suddenly, Je-gal Lee-hyun spat.

“Your flamboyant and devilish rhetoric is as excellent as ever! How you can make the enemy spill their secrets without any torture or coaxing! This foolish little brother is utterly impressed! I’ve been suspicious lately that perhaps it’s just a stupid woman, but you’ve shattered that thought completely!”

“What? Why does it feel weird to be praised?”

Still, Qing was greatly satisfied with the long-awaited taste of battle.

Piercing through soft skin into tough muscle at the same time, she simultaneously enjoyed both the weak and harsh sensations.

And with the Magic Flute, the gushing blood felt like a rediscovery.

It was, indeed, a revelation worthy of Old Ban’s tears in the afterlife.

Unfortunately, the power level of her crew was too excessive for dealing with mere street thugs.

The one who dashed out the door got his head split open, courtesy of Gyeon Pohee’s finger-pointing.

And the one trying to escape somewhat better ended up with Tang Nan-ah’s whip wrapped around his neck, his eyes rolled back, bubbling at the mouth.

“Why is he passed out?”

“Because ant venom got into his artery. He must feel like his whole body is on fire.”

“Hmm.”

Or maybe he was just the most pathetic of the lot.

At that moment.

“You filthy old man!”

Old Man Ban suddenly charged in with red eyes, Qing stood there, in a familiar stance, wielding her gigantic hammer.

In the path he charged, the guy bubbling at the mouth lay there, whip-snared.

Qing effortlessly blocked Old Man Ban with Moon Lady’s Step, slipping into a graceful stance.

“Wait a sec, Grandpa.”

“Get out of my way! I’m going to smash that guy’s head! That filthy bastard!”

“I get your feelings, but isn’t it pointless for someone who refuses to forge weapons to go around killing people with a hammer?”

“But that guy, that guy…!”

“Oh, there’s no way around it. You can settle for this instead.”

Qing placed her shoe on the head of the downed Sapa thug.

Her knees briefly trembled, then she pushed down with her full weight.

In truth, from the moment she said she had no choice, her expression was already one of pure glee behind the mask.

Qing wobbled as if she had lost her balance temporarily.

To her companions, it looked like she was affected by the sensation beneath her feet.

Of course, she was overwhelmed.

Wow… this is beyond amazing. It’s been ages.

Huh, has it been too long, or is it just that stimulating?

How much backup lingerie did I pack again?

The foresight of Choi Riyong had truly been shining, radiating like the sun with a dazzling glow.

But hey, good is good, yet the shoe was so sticky that it felt twice as icky.

Qing chose her steps wisely, carefully scraping her shoe against the clean ground.

After witnessing the tragic demise of the Namyeon Sect warrior, Old Man Ban stared down at the body in disbelief.

And then he cleared his throat, letting out a thick phlegm to spit onto the shattered remains.

Qing seized the moment to speak again.

“Grandpa, but don’t we have something to discuss too?”

At that, Old Man Ban sheepishly averted his gaze.

Qing took on a challenging posture and continued pressing him.

“This has been going on for a day or two, right? You clearly knew they’d come over to burn this place down.”

---